Buddha is known as the founder of Buddhism and is believed to have lived around 566-486 BC.

It is believed a 1,000-year-old box inside the temple in Jingchuan County, China, contains all that is left of the philosopher and teacher.

A translated inscription – dated to the year 1013 AD – on the side of the casket reads: "The monks Yunjiang and Zhiming of the Lotus School, who belonged to the Mañjuśrī Temple of the Longxing Monastery in Jingzhou Prefecture, gathered more than 2,000 pieces of śarīra (the cremated remains of the Buddha) as well as the Buddha's teeth and bones, and buried them in the Mañjuśrī Hall of this temple.”

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FOLLOWERS: There are more than 500 million followers of the Buddhist religion

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The box was found alongside 260 Buddhist statues buried nearby.

The statues – measuring two metres high – are thought to be at least 1,000 years old.

It can be revealed the incredible finds were actually made in 2012 by villagers carrying out roadworks.

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However, the discovery was only just reported in English in the journal, Chinese Cultural Relics.

Buddha is believed to have been born in modern-day Nepal to a royal family whose riches he shunned in favour of a spiritual life.

Buddhism is practised by an estimated 535 million people – approximately 10% of the world’s population.